Byron's New Look
by akatsuki15
Summary: Byron's not having much luck impressing Wisty, so who does he look to for help? Sasha of course!
1. Chapter 1

Byron's New Look

**Disclaimer: I do not own Witch and Wizard.**

**Warnings: **T for sexual references, however vague and possible language.

**A/N: **For the record I have absolutely nothing against Rock stars or Surfers, I just thought Byron might have that outlook on their appearance. Because he's weird like that but anyway on with the story!

**Byron's POV**

"I don't know about this Sasha." He had a very strange look on his face. It was almost gleeful.

"Trust me man, girls love the 'rocker' look." Somehow these words were not quite as reassuring as he thought they were.

"This is _Wisty. _Not some girl." She is in no way a typical teenage girl and my feelings for her are far from ordinary.

"Have you noticed how _punk_ Wisty is?" With the buzz cut and drumstick it's pretty obvious. I know the buzz cut wasn't really voluntary but she makes it look good.

"Yeah."

"And have any of your previous attempts borne fruit?" Sometimes Sasha says really weird things. Kind of like an old man.

"Say what?"

"Has anything else you've done up to this point worked?" She looks at me like I'm a stalker or a serial killer. So I'm gonna say 'no'.

"No."

"Then trust me Byron. Wisty would never date a slick haired bean counter." I don't think very many girls would and I know of none from my personal experience.

"And you think she would date some no account 'bad boy' with zilch chance at a future?" They may look good in high school but eventually the smoking and drinking catches up to them. Have you ever looked at a fifty year old tattoo? Nasty.

"Yep."

"Why?" Rotten teeth, saggy skin, and blood shot eyes are not attractive.

"All the girls are doing it." And how would _he _know?

"Dating losers?" Because what else do you call someone who drops out of high school?

"How do you think I get dates?"

"By being yourself?" I only said it because I had to do _something_. Trust me no one is that naive.

"No by looking like a beach bum." If that is true then girls are very weird.

"I thought that was your usual style." Seeing as how he wears the same thing every day. Well not the exact same thing but close enough. Cargo shorts and sleeveless T-shirts define his wardrobe.

"I have to stay in character."

"Even during sex?"

"..." Wow that's a loaded silence. Awwwkward...

"You're a virgin?" Okay so sometimes I'm a jerk...well most of the time.

"No. Are you?"...Yeah but I'm not going to admit it. Not to you anyway, you'd probably blab to Wisty and how lame would I look then? Not that it could get much worse but still...

"Dude? Really?"

"That's so surfer. I told you. Rocker!" Like I care that there's a difference? I mean one loser is the same as any other. Can't tell fleas apart can you? Same thing. But I might as well make some effort.

"Right. Hell no bitch!" So foul mouth? Check. Attitude? Check.

"That's better but you're still kinda metal." Is there a persona for _every_ music genre?

"Okay...Man you're tripping?"

"More Hendrix less Marley!" I said MAN not MON. But whatever.

"Drop dead?" It may surprise you but more than a few people have told me this. In the last year alone...

"Much better. Now for your hair."_ So_ glad I have _your_ approval.

"My hair?"

"Your hair."

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's shiny." And neat and organized. Perfect in every way.

"Girls like shiny!" Or at least my sister did. To be honest I don't like thinking about her much now. People may call me a rat or more often a weasel but never have I felt so low as when I turned her over to The One. Some great brother I am.

"When it involves jewelry or _their _hair."

"Whatever." Hair is hair no matter what this idiot says.

"See? You're already playing the part!"

"..."

"But seriously? It needs some work. She liked your look at the concert."

"Really? I didn't get that vibe." I wasn't in top form. That place was stifling and I couldn't get my hair to stay down. I saw a lot of guys with messy hair and figured if I at least looked better than _them_ everything would be fine.

"Because you were right up on her. Chicks don't like their space." Am I the only one who had trouble understanding that? They say girls are complicated but I don't think they've ever tried to understand a hyper Sasha.

"That was a total contradiction in and of itself."

"Exactly! Don't give her what she wants and she'll want it even more!"

"And how do I do that exactly?" Steal her chocolate? She'd beat me to a pulp. Whit and her have more in common than you might think.

"Ignore her." While she's kicking my ass? Not likely...

"Ignore her?"

"Yes! What are you? Deaf?" Well after that concert...

"Just confused mostly."

"Do you trust me?" No, most definitely not. He's a total nutcase, but he does seem to know a lot about girls. Or maybe he just thinks he does. Either way it's more than I know.

"For the most part." About this anyway.

"Okay I'm going to let that one slide. Just give it a shot. If it tanks I give you free rein to punch me straight in the nose."

"Without dodging, evading or deflecting?"

"Yes..."

"Alright."

"So I was thinking green." For the color scheme of his beach wedding? To another guy...there's no way a girl would put up with this. In fact it would have to be a weird guy...

"Green?"

"Green highlights in your hair. Wisty's a red head and you know red and green are Christmas colors." Do you see what I mean? I'm not off my rocker, _he_ is!

"What does Christmas have to do with anything?"

"Girls make weird connections." Have you ever wondered how someone chose to put cheese on fries? Nowadays they seem so common...

"With holidays and hair?" Needless to say that's a lot different than putting cheese on fries.

"Now you're catching on!"

"On to what?" Well obviously I'm not catching on to anything.

"How girls think!" What else have we been talking about for the last ten minutes?

"But I thought they were a mystery that we could never unravel?" I doubt even Einstein could reason out the female psyche.

"Partly but they are predictable creatures." I think he means guys. The only thing predictable about girls is they travel in groups of two or more. But even that doesn't apply to Wisty, she ran through a building freeing kids all on her own. She's no one's lackey.

"Even Wisty?" Let's see how he handles that curve ball.

"Well no, not Wisty. She's pretty random." Random is a good word for it.

"How is this supposed to help me?"

"It's not." Thanks for being honest, even if it was a rhetorical question.

"Then why am I here?" Why are any of us here? What is our self defining purpose? What can we possibly hope to achieve?

"For me to give you a makeover." Was it just me or did his voice get a little too high and squeaky for any self respecting guy? I may look and act like a weasel, but he's the one who talks like one!

"Are you sure you're straight?"

"Absolutely." He totally broke eye contact with me. I knew it...I knew it...I knew it!

"Okay then. We'll see where this goes but if you make me look like an idiot..." If you paint my fingernails for example...

"Who do you trust?" Not you! But I can't say that...it wouldn't be very nice.

"..."

"Me! You trust me!" Not likely...No sane person would.

"Whatever you say."

Now I'm not sure if it was the crazy look in his eye or his creepy laughter that made me wary of his next words, but he definitely made me nervous.

"I guarantee you'll get the girl. My plan is foolproof!"

**A/N: **So will he win Wisty's heart? That was a rather cruel cliffhanger wasn't it? I didn't even get to his makeover...


	2. Chapter 2

Title

Disclaimer: Still don't own a Witch or a Wizard.

A/N: Thanks to _Josephine Dark_ for putting this story on story alert and _I am Katniss Everdeen_ for reviewing! I really appreciate it!

"What do you think?" Well what am I supposed to think? He didn't exactly hand over a mirror now did he? Then again maybe that's the point...maybe a "Rocker" doesn't care what he looks like. I like to dress neatly but if this is what I takes to ensnare Wisty...Guess I'll just have to suck it up.

"I don't care." Sasha stepped in front of me, and tilted his head to the side.

"Just about perfect. Can you give me a glare?" Is he really asking to feel the full brunt of my hatred? Well he asked for it.

I didn't say a word, I just looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes. My mouth formed a straight line and I tried to keep my emotions from my face.

"Okay, we're good to go." He broke eye contact and started putting up his supplies. Which consisted of a straightener, green hair dye, and a comb. The first two were pretty self-explanatory, but the comb didn't make much sense. For some reason he combed my hair and then he messed it up with his hands.

"Oh are we?" Might as well try out my new persona. Sasha visibly swallowed and when he spoke his voice shook just a tad.

"I thought I tweaked your physical appearance, not your personality. The Mr. Hyde is emerging." He looked at me with something akin to fear. Good. At least this hassle was worth something.

"Well somethings are predictable, like your choice of clothing. Others are more unusual, like greatness." I looked at him with blatant pity.

"All you need if a guitar and you are there."

"I already have one."

"You do?"

"What do you think I used at the concert?"

"I thought you borrowed someone's bass."

"I did but he never came back to claim it."

"Cool." Why is it that adjectives are now able to stand alone? Even in text messages most conversations move to one word Q & A. _Where r u? Home. Sweet. Know. 'sup? Nothin'. Same. Nice. Agreed. _See what I mean? Teenagers are odd.

I didn't say anything, because there was no reason too. Also it seemed that I was to act apathetic without a care in the world. For this I needed to speak as little as possible.

"So are you ready to go?" Sasha looked at me expectantly.

"Go where?"

"To impress Wisty! What else?"

"You've dressed me up but you haven't told me what I should do!"

"Wisty's not supposed to fall in love with me, she's supposed to love you!"

"But I don't look like myself and you told me not to act like myself either!"

"I didn't give you plastic surgery so it's still _you_, and the attitude is just to capture her attention. It's to make her see that you can be more than just a snob nosed loser." Every time he speaks he insults me. Is there no common decency in the world? Then again it is Sasha...

"I get it. It's me with a new style."

"Yep. It's all you with a few minor uh major tweaks."

"So when can I see myself in a mirror?" For all I knew he could have shaved my hair off, and if that was the case then we were not going to walk out of this room without shaving his head too. After all the golden rule do unto others what you would have them do unto you. Or something like that.

Then again I had been showering affection onto Wisty and all I got for my trouble were looks of disgust. Maybe if I treated her like she was invisible then she would notice me. And not in a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe way either.

I am such a spineless jellyfish. I had already declared my love for her and I was still shaking in my boots. Or I would if I wore boots, I now sported the dingiest pair of sneakers around. It all contributed to the 'I hate my life' look.

"Sure just don't faint."

"Why would I faint?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. You look rather terrifying." Since when did girls like to be terrified? If Sasha made me look like an idiot I was going to get even. Maybe not by punching his lights out but I did earn the nickname Weasel for a reason.

I didn't say a word as Sasha handed me a mirror.

**A/N: I am evil I know. It just seemed like a good place to end the chapter. I promise you won't have to wait as long for the next one.**


	3. Chapter 3

Byron's New Look Ch.3

Disclaimer: I do not own Witch and Wizard.

A/N: So like I promised, even though it is a bit late, here's the third chapter. Thanks to _I am Katniss Everdeen _and _Epic Mickeygirl _for reviewing.

"What did you do to me?" I stared into the mirror and I had trouble recognizing the person I saw. He looked like a leather-wearing, motorcycle-driving version of me. If I ever wore leather or drove a motorcycle that is. Point being that I didn't look like me anymore, I looked like someone I could see with Wisty. Hopefully she could too.

My hair looked longer and it had a tendency to hang over my eyes. Thankfully Sasha hadn't taken the liberty of using eyeliner on me. Don't know if I could have survived that one. Not to be a drama queen or anything but I draw the line at make-up. I won't wear it. Anyway back to the conversation at hand.

"I turned you into a guy."

"I was already a guy."

"No you were a male, and a boy at that. Now you are a guy." And I thought girls were hard to understand. More proof that Sasha's an er...effeminate boy...man..whatever. And what teenage boy says 'male' anyway? Unless he is in a biology class, the entire situation becomes awkward. Kinda like now...

"I'm just going to agree to disagree and we are going to come up with a plan."Sasha tilted his head like a bewildered puppy. Weird but accurate analogy.

"We are not going to do anything. _You _are going to win her heart. I believe I have told you this before." And the fact that he was just going to ditch me right as I stepped onto the metaphorical playing field still stung.

"Well forgive me for not having your superior intellect."

"No need to get nasty. Ladies like the attitude but not the abusive kind." At least that sounded somewhat like advice.

"Why do I need to change to get her to like me? Why am I not good enough?" Beneath the fact that I sounded like a whining teenage girl, I was actually worried about Wisty's response to me. Would I need to keep up this facade forever or would she eventually find something she liked about me.

"It's not that you're not good enough, Byron. Wisty just needs a reason to take a closer look. It's like the bright colors in ads, they are there to capture your attention. That's what this look and attitude are going to do for you and Wisty."

"But what if she ignores me?" She's done it for so long she has probably formed a habit.

"Trust me, she'll notice you. You're like a lime green stripper pole in the middle of Toys R' Us. It's impossible to ignore you." A lime green stripper pole...out of all the things in the world to compare me to and he chooses _that_? I am officially disregarding all my previous comments about my colleague's sexuality. Although it is rather odd that he would make that comparison about another guy...and his eyes are twinkling something fierce...

"Unexpected things happen all the time, sometimes the little-"

"Oh for the love of God will you just shut up already? She's never going to like you if you keep whining like a baby! No guts no glory! You are Sparta not Haiti! You are the victimizer not the victim! Get your act together!"

"That was a very scary and moving speech."

"Then move your scared little self right out that door and down to Wisty. She's waiting to be impressed." A tad sarcastic but it somehow managed to work as a pep talk.

"Okay. And Sasha?"

"What?" He looked a little worn down. It had taken an hour or two for him to be confident in my attire. I thought only girls nitpicked at their clothes. '_That shirt is too light!_' '_Don't wear that! You look like a traffic cone!_' and '_Seriously are you a girl or are you a boy? That dress makes it hard to tell. Oh it's a shirt..._' were only some of Sasha's opinions.

"Thank you." He ha helped me when no one else would have bothered. If this all paned out I planned to name my first child after him. Middle name of course.

"Rockers do not say 'Thank you'!" Must stay in character at all times. Otherwise known as rule #23.

"Right. Thanks." Two words. Short and packing a punch. Also vaguely indifferent.

"Get out of my sight you little weirdo." Normality is all based on your perspective. The 'normal' view the 'abnormal' as weird and vice versa.

"What! But Sash-"

"Out!" He pointed his finger to the door for added emphasis and I set out. Mumbling as I went.

"Okay, okay." So I of course didn't hear his next words.

"This ought to be fun."


	4. Chapter 4

Byron's New Look Ch. 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Witch and Wizard.

A/N: Beyond this chapter the story should pick up speed. Hopefully. Oh and thanks to _Epic Mickeygir_l for adding this story to her favorites and also to _I am Katniss Everdeen_ for reviewing once again and also for adding this to her favorites list.

I heard the others whispering as I walked down the hall. I didn't know what they were saying, and I didn't know if it was bad or good. I just hoped the little smiles I was getting were of awe rather than glee. I've got to admit Emmett's glare made me nervous.

Luckily Wisty's voice has a tendency to carry, a great asset for a musician, and it made her very easy to find. Great for concerts; bad for hiding. Shame that one involved fame and the other survival.

She was speaking to Janine with her back to me. Janine's eyes got big when she looked over Wisty's shoulder to see me coming. Janine had been giving Wisty a response but her words tapered off as I drew close.

Wisty spun around with fire in her eyes, ready for anything. I suppose she expected to see the Wolfman himself standing behind her and judging from her expression the sight of me wasn't much better.

"Byron? What's wrong with your hair?" She said my name like she was unsure of my identity. Which in my case could be a good thing.

"Dunno." Short and careless.

"Excuse me?"

"I do not know what is wrong with my hair. Seems fine to me." I tried my best to sound patronizing. Thinking back to how I was when I was on the side of The One, it was easy.

"I thought you liked for your hair to be neat."

"You thought wrong."

Wisty opened her mouth, probably to yell some spell that would turn my hair purple, but I beat her to the punch and did something I'd never done with Wisty before. I walked off with the upper hand.

A/N: Short I know. Okay it was really short and was more of a preview than anything else, but it seemed like a good way to end the chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

Byron's New Look Ch. 5

Disclaimer: Still do not own Witch and Wizard.

A/N: So I started working on this as soon as I finished Ch. 4 so that you all wouldn't have to wait so long. You can thank me by reviewing(:

The other children and teens stared at me as I walked back the way I came. I suppose one or two had been listening at the door when I had talked to Wisty and had dashed back to spread the word. It didn't really matter which it was, they were all looking at me the same way. With admiration. They all adored and hero worshiped Wisty and Whit but they couldn't really stand up tell them that they were wrong even when they were.

Even if it was just about my hair I had still looked Wisty straight in the face and told her she was wrong. And then I had walked off without a care in the world. The others may admire me for what I did but I knew that the next time that I saw Wisty she would be out for blood. That's not the best thing to hope for when you want to ask a girl out. Wisty has never cared much for me and now she's be just as likely to hex me as to swing a battle ax at my neck. Neither option really appealed to me.

"Byron Swain! Get your traitorous weasel ass back here NOW!" Well at least I wouldn't have to wait for death. It was stalking after me with flaming red hair stuck out in all directions. She looked like she was going to burst into flames at any second, and while she may have been able to escape without any singing, I would be burned to a crisp, familiar or not.

That's probably the most interesting part to our love-hate relationship. Other witches had animal familiars that strengthened their powers in some way and while I did manage to help Wisty I wasn't an animal. Unless you counted the time she turned me into a lion and then into a weasel. I had been wondering how a human being could be a witch's familiar and I figured that my unfortunate shape shifting must have something to do with it.

Of course Wisty wasn't quite ready to accept me as her familiar and that was quite sad for me because I stood my best chance at being her boyfriend if I worked my way up bit by bit. Scrawny familiar today, best friend tomorrow, soul mate by Friday. I don't expect it to happen that fast of course but I considered it to be my best plan of action.

While I had these thoughts running through my head I had kept my eyes facing forward and had continued strolling down what I was now referring to as 'The Never-ending Corridor". Wisty continued to shout profanities at my back but I never turned around. Finally I heard the sound of her footsteps get louder and they were at a quicker pace than before. She wasn't quite running but she was walking very fast.

Despite the fact that I am no athlete, more by design than fate I still had longer legs than Wisty and therefore a longer stride. So what I would like to call "The Great Chase" officially began.

A/N: Okay so this one is a bit longer, and I think I'll just post this one and the one before it together.


	6. Chapter 6

Byron's New Look Ch. 6

Disclaimer: I still don't own a Witch or a Wizard of any kind. Nor do I own a series of books about them either.

A/N: This is officially my longest story to date. Well it has been for a few chapters but still...it feels good. Let's commemorate this occasion by reviewing(:

Warnings: Minor language.

"I...swear...to...God, weasel...if you...do not...stop...I am...going to...kill you...and bury your...body!" The Great Chase had turned into marathon a few staircases back and both of us were getting tired. I conserved energy by refusing to speak. But yelling at me seemed to burn no extra calories for Wisty.

There were kids lined up on either side of me cheering on their favorite. I was even surprised to hear a few here and there cheering for me. Then again I am as awesome as symmetrically striped socks. Don't ask.

"The solution is simple. If you wish to catch me, run faster. I honestly can't say I'm surprised, Whit's the athlete, you're just the knockoff punk who plays drums. No athletic talent what so ever." I'm not in great shape myself, so I had been expecting her to catch me well before this.

"You're one to talk! When I get you I'm going to beat you until your eyes pop out of your skull!" Her footsteps just kept getting louder and louder.

"Let's abstain from the graphical descriptions, there _are _children in the building." I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I just _knew_ she was glaring at me.

"Don't pretend that you care about anyone but yourself, Swain! You betrayed your own sister and yet all of these kids trust you. I won't be fooled so easily!" It feel like an entire lifetime has passed since this whole thing with The One began, but in truth it has been far less than a year. I suppose it will be a while yet before I am able to gain her trust again, not that I ever had it.

"You're wrong Wisty," I whispered. "I care about you far more than I should."

"What was that Swain?" I stopped running, much to the disappointment of the spectators, and I turned around to look Wisty in the eyes.

"Nothing Wisty. Just a bit of moaning and groaning." She squinted her eyes at me almost as if she was trying to see through my lie.

"You are an odd one, even for a weasel you are odd. One minute you're a cold hearted bean counter and the next you're an apathetic jerk. Who is the real you?" She looked so puzzled that I wished I had an answer for her. There is a part of me that strives to be good, and worries about the well being of others, but another part pushes me to look out for my own survival, no matter the cost to others. It must have seemed to others that I had been playing both sides but really I was just trying to do the best I could in the given situation.

"I wish I could tell you Wisty. If you figure it out before I do let me know." She leaned back and looked me up and down as if she were sizing me up for a fight. Heaven help me, she could probably kick my ass.

"Well the outfit would be a good start." She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"What do you mean? Do I look funny?"

"Yes. But that wasn't what I was getting at exactly. You don't look like yourself in those clothes. I'm all for the hairstyle, you really do need to ease up on the gel, but as for the rest you took it a little too far." _Damn you Sasha._

"The clothes aren't comfortable anyway." I had broken character not long after our impromptu sprint had begun and with out the attitude this outfit made absolutely no sense.

"I'm sure they aren't." Wisty smiled a little. "By the way did you want to speak to Janine about something?"

"No. Why?"

"I was just wondering. You came over to us like you had something to say."

"I forgot." Oh the beautiful lies we tell. As if I was going to ask her out now. She had already explained the faults in my choice of clothing, and she believed them to be clothes chosen of my own free will. No it was time to regroup.

"How did you forget?"

"That's the funny thing about forgetting something, if you forget then you don't remember what it is you forgot nor how you forgot it. Weird how that works out. Besides yelling at someone is bound to distract them." There was an odd gleam in Wisty's eyes and I wondered not for the first time if I had let my mouth run unheeded for too long. The tombstones in her eyes proclaimed it to be so.

"Whatever, Weasel. Better to be a slimy weasel who slinks and lies than to be a gutless coward who runs and screams. You can gain loyalty but courage is ingrained."

A/N: To clarify Wisty knows that Byron is lying about forgetting what it was he was going to say. That is why she calls him a coward. What she doesn't know is _what_ he was going to say and that bothers her.


	7. Chapter 7

Byron's New Look Ch. 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Witch and Wizard.

A/N: Alright people here it is! Oh and I'm going to take a few liberties and say that Byron never confessed his love to Wisty. Oh yeah, I went there.

"Excuse me, but what is everyone here doing? Hiding. We are all cowards Wisty, to say otherwise would be hypocritical. We run and hide to fight another day. Would you call Washington a coward?-" I was starting to hit a roll, the words just kept tumbling out of my mouth like vomit, I had no control over what I was saying.

"Byron, you have taken my words completely out of context." Okay so maybe I had, but the news channels do it all the time. It's not a sin and it's not necessarily a lie, technically...but that doesn't count. At least not in my mind.

"It's called changing the topic Wisty, otherwise known as evasion. It's a strategic move and you'd do well to recognize it." 'All is fair in love and war' as someone smart once wrote. Nothing could be more true in this moment. Wisty say this as a war, well more like a battle of individuals seeing as how we are quite literally in a war with The One Who is the One. Or whatever it is they call him these days.

"You're a coward Byron Swain if ever I saw one." Okay, Jonathan _and_ Drummer boy betrayed us all and she wants to slit _my_ throat? Oh and Sasha manipulated both Whit and Wisty into this war but do you see them calling him names? No. I suppose weasels are in the minorities. Shame.

"Perhaps you're right. If I can't tell the girl I love, my feelings then what else could I be?" Well she'd probably hit me so..._smart_?

"You're capable of loving someone? Isn't that reverse bestiality or something? You'll never be-" I went for it. And by it I mean I kissed her. On the lips. In front of everyone. Why humiliate myself by talking and getting rejected when I could act and maybe take something away from this. Like the memory of her soft lips under mine.

I pulled back to catch my breath and to speak, "What were you saying again?" Her cheeks were a delightful shade of red and she looked as though she was at a loss for words. I should have known it was too good to be true. The realization hit me just as her fist did. Or maybe it was Whit's. Before I blacked out I had only one thought. _She kissed me back._


	8. Chapter 8

Byron's New Look Ch. 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Witch & Wizard.

A/N: Eight chapters (some were rather short but still)...I want to cry. T.T

"Hey kid, are you alive?" I woke up to a tremendous headache and the scratchy voice of a preteen. Honestly the boy couldn't have been more than twelve, I was betting on eight, and yet he was calling _me_ a kid? I made the mistake of opening my eyes rather abruptly so I suppose I deserved the searing pain that accompanied it. Of course I would be lying on my back underneath a bright light, what was I thinking?

I turned my head to face the kid after my eyes stopped watering.

"Yes I am alive, so stop poking me with that stick." It's a rather odd urge to poke what you suspect to be a dead body with a stick wouldn't you say? Then again it does seem to have a certain appeal...I need to check into that.

"Well it was rather debatable for a while there sir." Okay so now he shows me respect...a little too much to be honest. How old am I? Thirty? Geez.

"Not anymore it's not. Scamper off would you?" It may come as a surprise but I'm not much of a people person and most definitely am not fond of children of any age.

"No can do sir." The boy looked pathetically earnest with his small frame and large glasses. Like a first year Harry Potter.

"Why not? And stop calling me sir."

"Sorry but I can't do that sir. Miss Wisty ordered me to."

"Now why would she go and do something like that?"

"I don't know sir, but she was rather upset after Mr. Whit hit you. She actually set a small fire around him. She screamed at him for so long that I'm surprised you didn't wake up. It is now a known fact that Miss Wisty has a powerful set of lungs."

"That she does. But she was worried when Whit hit me?"

"No, she was just mad that Whit would hit would go around hitting every guy that kissed her." Even from ten yards in a blizzard I would've heard the sarcasm pouring off his words.

"I was asking the kid, Sasha." Although he was better at fawning over Wisty than answering direct questions, as I was coming to learn, I preferred this runt over Sasha.

"Either way, it's the truth. You don't need him to tell you that."

"You've been known to tell a false truth." _Like when you said __Wisty liked the 'rocker' look._

"Stop trying to sound smart, you're not impressing anyone."

"Big wow, Sasha. How could I have possibly impressed anyone with an outfit like this?" People had stared. At _me _and not in a good way. For me to be wearing clothes like this was weird enough. But then I just had to go and kiss Wisty. It was worth it, don't get me wrong but felt like Whit's fist had dented my face.

"I should have known you couldn't pull off that look in front of Wisty. You have a tendency to babble."

"It's not who I am!"

"Well, duh. You came to me because Wisty isn't interested in the real you. You wanted me to spice up your look and I believe I did all that I could without adding a stripper pole." It is times like this that I reconsider Sasha's sexual orientation.

"I would have her attention at least." Not necessarily the best attention but attention none the less.

"It could still be arranged you know." There is nothing straight about that statement. Nothing.

"No it couldn't!" I will never, ever, become desperate enough to do that. Skinny and weasel-like I may be, but I am neither a prostitute nor a stripper and things would go much better if Sasha respected that.

"Yes it could."

"No it couldn't because then you'd have to hire an actual stripper. I am not dancing around a pole with everyone watching me!"

"You're so inhibited. I'd do it in a second." This does not surprise me…..

"Because you're an exhibitionist!"

"Why do you always state the obvious?" Because it's shocking and maybe if I say it aloud enough times it'll start to make sense or reality will sink in, whichever.

"Because with you it's shocking rather than mundane."

"Just don't stalk me okay." I don't think I'm the one in danger of becoming a stalker. Who is the one who can access a stripper pole so easily? Pervert.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Just saying. I saw a crazy glint in your eyes a minute ago." He must not look into a mirror most mornings. The glint in _his _eyes could rival the twinkle in Dumbledore's.

"Probably just the light."

"And penguins are purple." Maybe not in the wild but stuffed animals come in all colors. Although I'm not sure who would want a purple penguin, maybe some little girl with a princess fetish.

"Purple penguins play with a platypus!" The squirt was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet and his eyes were as big as saucers. He looked like a cross between a lunatic and a little kid who had ventured into Disney World for the first time. The second part may have made a bit more sense but

No one should ever be that happy thinking about purple penguins and a platypus. I mean they're awesome but this kid was just _way_ too excited.

"Um kid, are you okay?" See? Even _Sasha's _concerned, that brings a whole new meaning to this exchange. I mean, it's _Sasha. _He doesn't worry about anything. Life, death, and hamsters are no big deal where he's standing. He's never heard of morals but he shows concern to a bratty little kid?

"Yeah we just learned about alliteration before The One took over. "I don't remember being that happen when my teacher forced me to learn something new in school. Whether it was learning to count by twos or learning to derive. I hated it. There are certain stages to learning something new. First is exposure, most likely unwilling exposure but exposure none the less. Can you guess my new favorite word? After exposure comes denial. The whole I can't do this so why bother trying ideal. Then there is anger. Oh glorious anger, the idea is to blame everyone under the sun for why you are unable to solve the problem, except yourself. After anger is defeat-I mean acceptance, where you finally achieve inner peace. Or some other bullshit.

"Byron, look at his face. You totally ruined his happy moment." Okay Sasha let's be _real_ mature and play the 'pass the guilt' game. I didn't say a word to the kid and now he was this close to tears? I mean his eyes look like they are going to impersonate sprinklers! I wonder what Sasha did this time…

"His happy moment was ruined the second you walked through the door."

"You've got more backbone that I previously thought." Sasha looked me up and down and for some odd reason I got the feeling that he doesn't really think I have much backbone now let alone before this whole scenario.

"I'm an onion."

"You smell?"

"No! I have layers, idiot!" Obviously this guy has never seen either _Shrek_ or _The Blind Side._ I mean why would I make a point about the way I smell? For all the closet perverts out there, I smell like soap. Not some over powering cologne like some guys, *cough* Sasha *cough* use. I am a thoroughly complex and intriguing person in my own right, I am not some shallow mirror who does a really nice impression of a parrot.

"What idiot would think that up?"

"Shrek." A Giant green ogre with an extra helping of sarcasm. My idol. No really.

"You make no sense."

"Sanity never does."

"Never does what?"

"Make sense."

"Then why do they call it sanity?"

"They had to give the illusion of normality."

A/N: And that's pretty much it guys….okay so it went off topic a lot….and Byron rambled on a bit…it was a long chapter! …were nothing was accomplished….but WAIT! Wisty shows concern for Byron…or not. Anyway I'll try to move the plot along with the next chapter. Over and Out!


	9. Chapter 9

Byron's New Look Ch. 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Witch and Wizard.

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews! A few asked some important questions so to answer them….

_I am Katniss Everdeen: _Thanks and I didn't leave Wisty out intentionally...that's just the way it happened. I'll try to keep her active in future chapters.

_Arocksprpl2_: Thanks for reviewing and sorry for the confusion, I'm going to go back and bring some clarity to the scenes you mentioned. After all others might experience the same confusion. I took a bit of a break between chapters 7 & 8 and I guess it shows. The scene where Bryon is yelling about layers is when he's shouting at Sasha, who in fact did enter the room. In fact the last bit is just dialogue between Sasha and Bryon, which is a bit confusing I know.

It took me a while to escape the idiot, but I managed it eventually. Apparently, Janine needed Sasha to go run an errand for her and she couldn't have picked a better time in my opinion. The brat disappeared when my back was turned but it didn't bother me. I needed to be alone to think about everything that had happened.

If my life were a manga then this would be the part where I begin to act like a fan girl and get all obsessive and flustered. To be honest I was obsessive and flustered; I just couldn't stop thinking about our kiss, and my face developed into darker shades of red rapidly. There wasn't a plan as to where we should strike next and it was someone else's turn to be leader so I was left without much to do. Therefore, I decided to take a stroll around the shopping center to clear my head, and it just about worked too. I may have been able to block the entire incident from my memory if Wisty hadn't done an about face and kissed me back. Of course I realized that sharing a kiss, especially one without tongue, didn't automatically guarantee amorous feelings from Wisty. After all, I had betrayed her from time to time, and my _true _form was a weasel.

Now I will _never _admit that aloud. Wisty changed me into a lion the first time and that is a much better form than a weasel. But I am not an idiot and I do realize that she didn't have very good control of her magic hence why the two forms varied so much. If her magic had been a little, off the first time I may have turned into a hamster instead of a weasel. Or if my true form really was a lion she may have turned me into another breed of cat.

Simply speaking I am a weasel and I know it. But she kissed me knowing who and what I really am. To me that says a lot. Her brother's fist also says a lot. It is truly amazing how one gene pool can create two such vastly different individuals. I suppose that is genetics for you.

This entire situation seems pretty basic and obvious but my heart felt like it was racing ninety miles an hour ahead while my head was lagging behind. I didn't have a headache but my mind felt cluttered and I walked down aisles the others didn't visit too frequently in an attempt to get some space.

In reality there are not that many kids who live here but at times I feel like the entire population of China does. Overly dramatic I know.

The obvious solution to my problem would be to talk to Wisty, but that is not as easy as it seems. Whit himself is an obstacle along with my shy and reserved nature. I am an average guy who doesn't fancy being beaten to a pulp and who doesn't enjoy having his feelings trampled upon either. Naturally I understood that I had to get the ball rolling somehow otherwise there would never be an end to this Mexican standoff. I just needed to stand up and declare myself. Easier said than done.

I am such a coward when it comes to Wisty. At other times as well but especially now.

I must have continued to wonder about aimlessly for quite some time because when I looked out a window it had grown quite dark. I did an about turn and came face to face with Wisty. It would seem that Fate had given me little choice in the matter and had delivered the fight to my door so to speak.

A/N: Sorry for the late update, I took the time to do an outline and the rest of the chapters should be uploaded regularly. Also a mean cliffhanger I know(:


	10. Chapter 10

Byron's New Look Ch.10

Disclaimer: I do not own Witch & Wizard.

A/N: Here's the next chapter, like I promised.

Small warning Byron is going to get a little mean in this chapter…but can you really blame him?

"Byron we really do need to talk." Wisty looked at me with sad eyes and I couldn't suppress a twinge of doubt. There was very little good that could come from a look like that.

"I suppose we do." I gave no pretense of ignorance but prepared to stand my ground and to meet her head on, in hopes that she would respect my resolve.

I kept quiet and waited for her to speak first. It was polite and spoke to my cowardice but allowed me to ascertain her mood and view of matters.

"It can't happen again." There was regret in her eyes that shamed me. I felt my stomach clench at her rejection for it could be mistaken for nothing else.

"I understand." I met her gaze and made it my goal not to stare at my feet as I longed to do. I don't think Wisty could ever be truly mean. She can yell and scream with the best but she doesn't enjoy the suffering of others. Even though I knew all of that, I still felt crushed. Rejection is never an easy thing.

"We can still be friends Byron." Her words not only made a mockery of our kiss but also of my feelings for her. I didn't need a clarification, regardless of the reason she could never be serious about a guy like me. What is ironic is that a nerdy bean counter such as I was willing to step outside of my comfort zone to make a relationship with someone so different from myself, while the most outgoing person I know couldn't take the risk.

I know I have a tendency to unfair and that there are probably several forces influencing her decision that I am unaware of but it still doesn't alleviate any of my pain.

So I did the only thing I could do, I looked her straight in the eye and did what I do best. I lied.

"Don't be ridiculous, I would never want to be friends with _you_." I wrinkled my nose for effect and took a haughty sniff. "Your power is you're only redeeming quality. Although I'm not entirely I could bear to be the familiar of such a sloppy witch."

The red in her cheeks could have been anger or it could have been embarrassment. I myself lean towards the first but I have never claimed to know her mind. For a moment, I could have almost mistaken the look in her eyes for hurt but as I blinked, it disappeared.

"I never asked you too. I wouldn't want a weasel for a familiar anyways." Well it may not be the most impressive familiar but a weasel is much better at gathering information than a lion. I knewe

"Because all your other options were working out so very well." Drummer Boy was dead and Sasha is a worse liar I am, not to mention…never mind, and Emmett well he was just a fan boy. He has no soul.

"Compared with you? Absolutely."

"Well if you feel that way I see no reason to continue this conversation." I tried a last time to gather what pride I had left and turned my back to walk away as I heard her mumble one last word.

"Fine." If there was hurt in her voice, I didn't linger. I was too busy holding myself together.

"Fine." I breathed out and as I breathed in I tried to convince my heart that it wasn't breaking.

A/N: I've never written angst or drama and I don't think I write it well but this was essential to the story so please don't kill me. Chapter 11 will be up by the end of next week.


	11. Chapter 11

Byron's New Look Ch.11

Disclaimer: I do not own Witch and Wizard

A/N: So this chapter won't be very happy but neither will it be as depressing as the last one.

Taking a walk to clear your head is a rather common practice but rather than take a brief walk outside of Garfunkel's and then head back to my room, I went outside and just kept walking. I won't bore you with the details but eventually I reached the highway and I figured since I had come this far I might as well keep going. I didn't have a death wish and neither did I relish dying of dehydration but I just wanted to be alone.

I needed to think and I've always done my best thinking while I was walking. I just didn't want to walk where I could be stumbled upon by anyone and everyone. Otherwise known as Wisty. Or Whit. At this point one was just as bad as the other was. The main point is I just kept walking, but of course, it wasn't like I could just start walking along the highway in a random direction minding my own business and expect to be left alone. No of course not.

I know that earlier I would have killed to get away from Sasha and the runt, but an hour or two after I had set out on my pilgrimage I would have killed to be found by them rather than who did find me. It wasn't The One, but it might as well have been. It was three N.O. officials for sure, the uniforms were dead giveaways but they must not have been high in the hierarchy because they didn't state their positions over and over in a redundant fashion. Back when I was still working for the New Order I knew a guy with the title The One Who Cooks. No I'm not kidding. They have different officials for every type of business, I guess it was more fun to distribute the power eighty something different ways than to simply have one person named The One Who Manages. Either way every time I ran into the guys whether it was at N.O. Headquarters or at the little diner down the road he introduced himself to me every time.

And it wasn't that he spoke in third person either, along with the intro he also gave me his job description, verbatim from the official records. I know because I checked. Now people can say whatever they want but this guy was a bigger freak than me. I mean if he were turned into an animal, he would have been a parrot, no offense to parrots. Now I know parrots do have the capacity to learn a few hundred words and that they don't necessarily repeat what you say all the time, but he fit the parrot stereotype.

But I'm getting off track, the point is I walked, was picked up by the New Order, and was eventually taken to the local HQ. After all, if you plan world domination you have to delegate. C'mon that's a given. Now when I did get there courtesy of a helicopter I was dragged into a cell and left there. Yep, I was just left there. Its anti-climactic I know, personally I was expecting torture. Something involving pliers and my nails, or a hammer with my toes. Basically any tool applied to fragile parts of my body.

Now some time later, an hour or so, I was questioned. I guess they weren't completely incompetent. I had a moment where I thought they might be trying to lure me into a false sense of security, but they never followed through.

After that long wait I mentioned, I witnessed their further lack of order when Wisty came to rescue me. Yes, the girl rescued the guy in this story. I fail at being Prince Charming. So forgive me if I wasn't feeling my best when Wisty came waltzing aka running through my cell door. Being kidnapped by N.O. officials could only distracted me from my troubled thoughts for so long. It came to the point that I almost wanted to be tortured so that I could think about something else. My conscious was killing me about everything I had said to Wisty and there was a nagging voice in the back of my mind telling me that I had not exhausted all of my options. I had given up on a relationship before it had even begun. Wisty had given me the 'let's be friends' speech and it hurt to think that I hadn't tried to stop her. In fact, I helped move it along.

I was surprised that anyone would come to rescue me; after all, I was a notorious traitor. But come they did, probably because Wisty asked them too. Of course, that is where my true problem lies. She's a good person, even if she claims to be a scary witch. Here she is saving my life and I'm still under emotional distress. If this were a romance novel Wisty would have realized her mistake and would confess her love for me. The way my life is going right now it would be much more likely that she would confess to Sasha.

As my thoughts twisted this way and that, I didn't notice Wisty's approach until she was right in front of me.

"They didn't even put handcuffs on you?" I looked up at her and all the words I had been about to say left me. I know it sounds corny but she left me speechless.

It wasn't that she was beautiful or graceful, but as she stood there with the flames left over from her brutal entrance blazing overhead she looked like a goddess. A goddess of war or perhaps death, seeing as she was glaring at me again.

"They realized it was pointless. After all, I am amazing, so amazing they tripped all over themselves in an effort to escape me. Why do you think it was so easy to break in here?" I smirked in my usual manner but Wisty didn't look as upset as she usually gets. It seems that I'm out of practice in getting under her skin. No matter.

"I think they were so lazy and careless that a snail could have escaped them if it put in half the effort. Maybe it is different for weasels. Her smile took some of the sting from her words.

"I've been told that weasels are very resourceful." I knew everything was going to be okay when I saw the gleam in Wisty's eyes.

"Most rodents are."

A/N: It ended on a happier note than I planned on but that's not a bad thing. Maybe another chapter or two and then an epilogue.


	12. Chapter 12

Byron's New Look Ch.12

Disclaimer: I do not own Witch & Wizard.

A/N: Getting closer to the end...

Warnings: Mild language, No Wisty sighting, Insults to pink, Twilight,

"So what's with that scarf?" I asked Sasha out of boredom. In my opinion, it was a valid question, but I doubt he sees it that way.

"What's up with that face?" He returned.

"It's not pink." That scarf was a sight. I doubt a girl over the age of five would dare to wear it in public and yet there was Sasha wearing it. Not to say that he is a girl, but I guess that is how he can stomach wearing it. I know I'm not supposed to judge but damn! Did he have to wear that monstrosity while he was walking nest to me? I saw the stares and just know everyone within sighting distance of us thinks I'm gay.

"Fuchsia." He looked forward as he spoke and didn't miss a step I on the other hand tripped and almost did a face plant. I would have if Sasha hadn't gripped my arm and held me up. Held me up with _one arm_.

"What?" I'm afraid I may have squeaked as I spoke.

"Fuchsia. It's a color you know?" From his tone of voice I think he was rolling his eyes at me.

"Whatever. At least my face doesn't sparkle." But it was still red.

"No you're not lucky enough for that." He said that with a straight face too.

"You _want _your face to sparkle?" I tried to keep the incredulous tone from my voice, partly because I didn't want to insult him and partly because I couldn't be sure if he was serious or not.

"Who doesn't?" His face gave no hint towards his thoughts.

"Anyone who has watched _Twilight _for one. A straight man for another." The first was almost expected, the latter was my attempt at fishing for information. He had never admitted to being gay openly but his appearance and behavior seemed to shout it. No I was not stereotyping. Not at all. Pssh.

"Neither applies to me so I'm not bothered."

"Oh my God, you just admitted it!" At that moment I knew what it felt like to be a stereotypical teenage girl. I was trying so hard to keep from bouncing onto my toes.

"Admitted what?"

"Don't play innocent! You know what I'm talking about. I have to tell Wisty! No! You have to tell Wisty, there's no way she'd believe me about this." After all who would? This has nothing to do with my actions and behavior but with Sasha's notorious tight lipped behavior.

"I don't see how she can trust you about anything. I mean you are a _weasel._" His lip curled with distaste, which I can understand. After all weasels don't make great house pets, not like dogs and cats anyway.

"There are worse things you know." I mean there are people who like snakes and spiders and all manners of creepy crawly things.

"I suppose. Now weren't you going to speak to Wisty about your undying love?" I knew he was trying to distract me and I pretended to for a moment.

"I already tried that remember? She gave me the 'let's be friends' speech." And what a sad speech it had been. Not that I had done much to stop it.

"I guess the ball is in her court then?" The guy had the guts to sound smug.

"Yep." I got quiet as my thoughts turned to Wisty and the whole sordid tale.

"Don't cry. If you were blonde I'd date you." My head whipped around so fast I heard it pop.

"How is that supposed to make me feel better?" All I could feel at the moment was shock and unease.

"I'm gorgeous." This entire time he had been facing forward as we walked around Garfunkel's, but now he turned to look me in the face, as if he was daring me to disagree.

"So?" Articulate is my middle name. Not.

"Everyone loves me." He continued to stare at me and I had trouble meeting his eyes.

"I don't"

"Yes you do. You just don't realize it." I felt relief as he turned to look at some bobble.

"You're in denial."

"Says the cynic." He didn't look up from where he was crouched. I stood awkwardly in the aisle as he continued his perusal.

"Says the realist."

"Same thing." He stood back up and we continued our walkabout.

"Shut up."

"I don't want any Debbie Downers here. Go talk to her. Give her a chance to correct her mistake. You may be a weasel at heart but even weasels grow up." For a moment I felt better. But it wasn't for more than a second or two before reality came crashing back down and I realized he was chuckling silently.

"That was an amazingly weak pep talk." He gave up on trying to be quiet and burst into laughter.

"I tried." He wheezed between bouts.

"I suppose I could find something to talk to her about." I mumbled as Sasha continued to laugh. I began to feel that I had over stayed my welcome and as I walked out, I had the feeling that I had forgotten something. What an annoying feeling.

Unbeknownst to Byron, Sasha had the last word that day, "Weak my ass."

A/N: So some good natured banter between friends and Wisty is going to make a comeback next chapter. I'm planning to make Byron feel very awkward. Evil I know(:


	13. Chapter 13

Byron's New Look Ch.13

Disclaimer: I do not own Witch & Wizard

A/N: So the big scene….

I was heading to speak to Wisty. I couldn't believe that I was going to try again. After my recent strain of bad luck I was going to give it another shot.

This was my line of thought as I heard voices coming from ahead of me. I didn't give a thought to jumping behind a rack of clothes to hide as they passed by. To my relief I didn't recognize any of the voices and they were not talking about anyone I knew. As their voices dimmed, I laughed at my behavior. After all that had happened these past few months, after everything I had said and done about cowardly behavior I was still ducking behind anything to eavesdrop on any conversation. Of course I had learned several important things this way but that didn't make my behavior right.

"Learn anything helpful?" I jumped up and cracked my head against the rack of clothing. For something so easy to tip over it was surprisingly hard on the skull.

With tears in my eyes, I turned to meet Wisty's laughing eyes. She smiled knowing just how bad she had scared me. No, scared is not the word I'm looking for, startled would be a more appropriate description.

"You shouldn't laugh at someone else's misfortune you know." I rubbed the rising bump on my head for good measure.

"And you shouldn't eavesdrop on the conversations of others. I fear it will be difficult to break you of that obnoxious habit." She shook her head from side to side in mocking despair.

"And who exactly is going to make break my bad habits? I'm not a dog you know." I glared at her but it did nothing to wipe that smug smile off her face.

"I know that Byron, but some people say that you can train a boyfriend just like you can train a dog." I found myself staring into her eyes with a certain intensity suddenly guessing her meaning.

"Planning a new project Wisty?" Her smile turned wistful and wry.

"Well it might prove fruitful to test the theory. The only problem I have is finding a test subject. It can't be anyone closely resembling a dog, it might skew the results." She leaned closer to me and my breathing sounded louder to me.

"Would a weasel do?" I allowed myself to sway closer to her, as I waited for her response.

"Yes, I think a weasel would be just about perfect." I stopped breathing as our lips touched and I began to consider it unnecessary as her lips moved beneath mine.

We stayed like that for a bit before a thought came to me and I jerked my head up and away from hers.

"Wait." She tilted her head to look at me with hurt and confused eyes. I pulled her close so she would understand I was not rejecting her.

"Is Whit going to hit me again?" I looked at her as she began to laugh again. I was trying to be serious but she continued to laugh as if I was the funniest comedy act of the year.

"Don't be silly, he won't give you any more trouble. He was just preserving my honor. I explained how things were and assured him that you were not attacking me. Well not against my will at any rate."

She continued to smile at me and I understood on some level that something had changed in our relationship. We had been classmates, enemies, friends, and now it seemed that we were something altogether different.

"How are things Wisty? Don't lie to me." The small bit of hope I still harbor hadn't died yet and I felt it swell and grow as Wisty spoke.

"I realized that I didn't want you to change." It seemed that she thought that explained everything. She stretched up in an attempt to reach my mouth but I gently pushed down on her shoulders.

"Wisty, you're going to have to be a bit clearer than that." She frowned and I felt a growing smugness within.

"It doesn't bother me that you're a weasel or that you feel the need to sneak around and listen to other's conservations. I'll take you as you are. I love you, Byron." I concentrated on taking in air to breathe for a minute before trying to speak.

"It makes me happy to hear you say that Wisty. You can't possibly know how happy I am. I love you so much Wisty."

As for after that…I'm not the kind to kiss and tell. So I'm not telling.

A/N: Fluff and mush I know, but it has been a long time coming. So next up is the epilogue. R&R!


	14. Chapter 14

Byron's New Look Ch.14

Disclaimer: I do not own Witch & Wizard

A/N: Alright this is the last bit guys.

20 Years later…

At Thirty-six years old, I am still capable of turning into a weasel thanks to my quick-tempered wife, whom I have been married to for the past fourteen years. Around our friends, she claims that fourteen days was enough for her to see what fourteen years of marriage with me would be like. A quick kiss usually shuts her up about that.

Amazingly, it didn't take Wisty and Whit very long to defeat The One. I played a minor role, but what really took time was setting the world back to rights. There were several N.O. officials hiding out and most of the N.O. records were burned so it is doubtful that everyone involved was caught. Then again I hear it's that way in most cases.

For a while, it was like the Red Scare, everyone was pointing at someone else accusing them of supporting the N.O. and it became impossible to tell the liars from those who spoke the truth. Then again, the same thing happened at the Salem Witch Trials and more recently the N.O. takeover. History tends to repeat itself, and at regular intervals.

On the personal front, I can assure you that twenty years of wisdom and a loving marriage with me has mellowed my wife.

"Byron! Where the hell is my drumstick?" Okay maybe not so much.

"I think you left it on the back porch dear!" I smile as I hear Wisty stomp into the living room behind me.

"It's not there! I already checked outside. I know you know that you know I know you know where it is!"

"I am almost tempted to ask you to repeat that last bit." Over the years, Wisty gained more and more control over her powers, including the flames but at times like these, I was glad that we had chosen to install a sprinkler system. Steam was pouring out of her ears. Literally.

"Byron!" She stopped a few steps in front of where I was sitting on the couch.

"Yes dear?" I looked up from the book I had been pretending to read.

"Where is it?" I saw the gleam in her eye and gave up all pretenses.

"Olivia needed to borrow it for her performance tonight." Our oldest daughter had developed a good ear for music and like her grandmother loved to play the drums. It must skip a generation because Wisty loves a good electric and I'm more of a bass guitarist than anything else.

"Why?" You would think she'd be happy that I hadn't lost the piece of wood but no, it only made her temper flare up to previously undiagnosed levels. Well undiagnosed in the past five hours anyway.

"She could only find one of her drumsticks and there was no other way I could calm her down."

"So you gave her a drumstick that is actually a wand? We don't know who she'll take after yet! Those people expecting an amateur rock band could actually see a magic show!" Our thirteen-year-old daughter had started her own band with a few of her friends and early on Saturday nights she is allowed to play at the bowling alley down the street. They are for sure and certain not the rolling stones, but for a bunch of teenage girls, they can carry a tune. Not like her mother and me but I am a biased old man to be sure.

"Wisty, people have grown used to the idea of magic in the past few years. I'm sure everything will be fine." I was speaking the truth. After the downfall of the N.O., people were still frightened of most anything that had to do with magic.

Luckily, several people who grew into power revealed themselves for the witches and wizards they truly are. Surprisingly Whit never became a college football star; he was too busy penning his first novel, which became a bestseller in its first week off the press. Another magical person who became famous was Janine, and not just because she married Whit. She gained overnight stardom on her own, thanks to the stock market. Sasha became a fashion designer and married a wedding planner and as for all those times I thought him to be gay well…it turns out I was wrong. He married a woman and as many times, as we have to tell them to get a room I have to believe that they are a true couple. He still wears pink, almost every day in fact. But I guess some women like a man who wears pink. I know Wisty would call me gay and order me to change if I ever did, but that's Wisty.

"Dad!" Olivia's voice rang through the house.

"Shoot!" Wisty's anger had disappeared in a flash, now she just looked smug.

"It's your turn to be the bad guy." I do have a natural reflex to blame things on her. Like who ate the last chocolate chip cookie.

"Traitor." Her smile only grew at my mumbled comeback.

"Let me know how it goes." She turned to walk away and after all these years I still can't stand to let her have the last word.

"You'll be listening at the keyhole I'm sure." Rather than break me of my bad habits it seemed she had picked up a few herself.

"You're sure about a lot of things aren't you?" Despite the sarcasm in her tone, she turned to look back at me.

"Like the fact that you're tossing me to the sharks?" I raised my eyebrow. She is more like me than anyone could ever have thought possible.

"Only one shark dear, the other is at cheer camp." She smirked as she stepped forward.

"Clearly Olivia takes after you, but who does Cassie take after?" Her uncle that's who. Cassie has an unnatural love for football, even though she does enjoy music, she would much rather be sitting on a cold set of bleachers. Clearly I cannot understand her reasoning.

"Hard to say really, I mean her dad was such a square." She stopped in front of me, bent down to my eye level, and grinned.

"Thanks Love, I'll remember that one the next time you ask me to go somewhere." I tried to frown but found I could not keep a straight face and smiled.

"Come on, I used past tense," Wisty wheedled.

"Dad!" I looked up at Wisty with pleading eyes, begging her to save me. She smirked at my distress. She was never one to fall for the puppy dog eyes.

"I'll go anywhere! Just don't leave me alone with a raging teenager." Our children are famous for their drama at school and at home. Girls are supposed to be trouble but when they have a mother like Wisty and a father like me, they are bound to cause pandemonium.

"Fine but you'll have to take the blame. I'll be here for emotional support only." I could only nod as I heard Olivia call for me once again.

"Okay Liv, come on in sweetheart." I stood up in time to see my daughter waste no time bursting through the door with enough force for it to rebound from the wall and slam shut again behind her. What an entrance.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are officially the best dad in the entire world!" I may have squeaked as Olivia threw her arms around me and squeezed the breath from my lungs.

"Why is that?" I said as she stepped back from our hug.

"The crowd loved us! By the time, the sparks started flying they were already chanting along with our chorus! And we got an encore!" Her smile was wide and her eyes were wild with adrenaline.

"Did you hear that honey? They got an encore." I allowed a certain degree of smugness to invade my tone and I am sure Wisty heard it.

"I heard." Her words were clipped but Olivia took no notice as she handed me her mother's drumstick and raced up the stairs.

"Remember, I get all the credit for this one." I said as I handed Wisty her drumstick.

"I'll remember." Her pout was adorable but I couldn't help but needle her one more time.

"Good. Just don't forget." My smile grew when she waved her drumstick under my nose.

"Don't push your luck. I can still turn you into a weasel."

A/N: Alright that's it. Let me know your final thoughts and opinions about the story in a review!


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